Confused And Depressed -- I Don't Want To Regret This!

[AliveAgain 283]

Hello Everyone! This is my first time posting to any forum, just not something I've done before, reaching out to strangers. But in my case, I decided not to tell any family or friends about my sleeve. Only my husband and doctors know. It's a long story to get into, but not why I'm here now.

I was sleeved last Monday, Jan 30. From what I've been reading for weeks, I'm very thankful that there were no complications and I was able to take on fluids and Protein right way. I have not vomited once and nausea is manageable without pills. Went home the next day and have been able to get in fluids and Proteins everyday. Only complication is that I may be lactose intolerant, trying to figure that one out. The gas pains were horrific and I went an entire week without a BM. But after 3X daily doses of Benefiber and mega does of Milk of Magnesia, that problem seems to be getting better. The most disconcerting part is that my guts feel like an alien trying to escape my body. The sounds they make at night wake my husband from dead sleep. Walking does help, but that's been a bit problematic due to other reasons I'd rather not get into. I am getting 20-40 minutes of walking everyday, if it kills me.

Now, my biggest problem is the depression. It hit hardest on Days 3-4, then 5 was OK I think because my husband was around. Today has just been a complete mess. I don't think I can do any more of these disgusting shakes. I hate sweet things - cherry, vanilla, chocolate - all of it is just horrible. I was not a big sweets person before either, so not a shock to me. Even the Jell-O and Popsicles make my tongue and teeth ACHE. I try the chicken and beef stuff, just takes like wet mud to me. Then I'm confused when I see some people on here talking about eating yogurt, applesauce, cream of wheat, oatmeal, tuna, etc. less than a week out. My doctor told me I have to be strictly on these Protein torture drinks for another 1-2 weeks. A lot of the things I'm complaining about -- the gas, bloating, walking problems, etc. -- I think I can get through that. But the idea of another 7-14 days of NOTHING but SWEET, SWEET, SWEET and MUD absolutely makes me want to stop eating all together. I miss flavor, real flavor. Not talking fattening junk food, but just the taste of a Tomato in vinegar, and nice tuna salad with fresh celery and dill. I'm dreaming my teeth are going to fall out because they ache so much.

Can anyone advise?

[SouthernSleever 236]

First off let me say it's so worth it! Second you are on a liquid diet. Research and see what else you can have other than the shakes. I HATE shakes except for the Premier Protien shakes from costco or sam's or their website. chicken broth, any broth strained from Soups, Tomato Soup, cheese Soup should all be fine. Juices, smoothies (after 2 weeks) made with real fruit and a touch of real sugar helped me through. After 2 weeks yogurt, applesauce (anythign you can drink through a straw and isn't chunky). Now I know these aren't your doctors orders, they were my doctors orders but it is up to YOU. My doctor has a great record w/o leaks and is very experienced. His plan is much more reserved than a lot of doctors on here. You will hear this "Do what your doctor said, if you didn't trust your doctor why did you pick him" blah blah blah on here. My take is you do your own research, listen to your body and do what's best for you. The idea that one surgeon knows everything (and you happened to pick the know it all) is crazy. Good luck, keep your head up, and dude....it feels so freaking fantastic at the finish line!

[overboard 5]

I am so sorry you are having a hard time with the cravings for food. I also was depressed after my surgery for a few weeks. I think I was really mourning food.I was sad I couldn't just quit the hideous diet! I also HATED the shakes. I never have liked sweets either. I can't remember that I did anything about it, but I got through it. This is a very tough phase emotionally. It was for me at least. But, the only thing I have to tell you is it will get better, you will get off the shakes fairly soon, and life gets a lot easier and more enjoyable when you can eat soft foods. Good luck to you! Pretty soon you will be able to try some other food. I didn't have anything but unsweetened passion iced tea from starbucks and those Protein Drinks. The day I no longer had to do the Protein drinks, was a glorious day! I had one again. I do think I had keifer milk. It isn't sweet and was something different. I liked that for a while. If it is too plain you can add some of those Mio drops in the keifer milk, but if you don't like sweets you might not need that. Good luck to you, it will get better.

[iegal 460]

Hi Emlefe;

Sad that this has not been an easy recovery thus far. Good news is that you are reaching out at all. Remember you are not alone. I too had a lactose intolerance (I love cheese) but grew out of it at about month four. Looking back, I can tell you that those first couple of weeks, I thought - "Did I know VSG was going to be this difficult? Was I really prepared for the changes?"

Things you need to understand - things are different now. Your taste buds have changed, what you can eat has changed, what you can tolerate has changed, your body has changed - in reality you are searching for a new normal. Total assurance that you will find a new normal. Most likely this will take several months which is why we call this a journey. Have you ever had a horrid vacation and now you can look back and see the humor or at least laugh at how you survived? Equate this with the VSG journey. Some bad days or weeks and some good days. You are still healing, so you are eating to survive. You are eating to allow your stomach time to heal. I used the lactose free milk in my Decaf tea.

In time slowly a new normal will emerge. You will be able to eat non sickingly sweet foods. You will be able to have tuna, vinegar, tomatoes and all else your brain is screaming for now.

Call your doctor in the morning and see if you can move to the mushy phase. If yes, puree the (*^% out of some tuna with a little plain greek yogurt - if your diet plan allows to satisfy your tastebuds. Also - have you tried just eating some plain chicken broth? I used Lipton chicken Soup - the dried kind and threw out the noodles. Added in roasted chicken for addl flavor and then pulled it out. NUMMY after all that fake sugary thick shakes. If you like Starbucks and surgeon okay's - try a Decaf Latte, soy milk...or if too costly make your own version at home. There are some good online replacement foods besides sugary stuff. Google Barriatric foods. Expensive, but a lot cheaper than groceries.

Lastly, do you have any VSG diet plan from your doctor? Google VSG diet plan and a whole bunch will come up. Read those for tips before talking to your doc tomorrow and see what you can have that is not on your diet plan. In a few months, try adding back in a food like dairy.

The sun will come out soon. At 6 months it was as if I almost never had surgery minus the totally new body. Give yourself time to heal and don't think what is happening now is forever.

Hugs to being willing to open up. Hope my words have comforted you in some small way.

[Charlotte 23]

I to have been depressed on and off since surgery Dec 12,2011 (8 weeks ago this Tuesday). I hated the shakes but was given a list of some pretty tasty ones. I was given some very good advice on here, which made me stay and little bit by little bit I have opened up to the wonderful people here.

I use and used Top Ramen flavor packs for the taste and really loved the hot coco Protein rich they were my stand by's until I got to mushy's

Don't try to rush through the processes your body will tell you when to step up. If you try mushy's and get sick step back down and the same with going on to real food. If you have problems step back down for a bit. Each of us are different as to how well we tolerate the changes.

I couldn't walk at all before having the surgery it was just to hard. I had to start very slow, walk to door, then to drive way, then to street and so on. Now I am walking for 7 minutes on a tread mill. It may take awhile but you will get there.

I have attached a shake file with over 190 shakes to chose from I hope this helps get past this part.

Day by Day Step by Step with Jesus is what I pray for each day.

Wishing you a better, brighter, new day.

[Amanda 3.0 140]

It is frustrating to see all the different plans, especially when your own is not going so smoothly. I haven't had a hard time at all, but I was on liquids for five weeks and was reading about others eating real food one week out! And here I was, excited about adding a cracker to my Soup several weeks later.

I would suggest that you call your surgeon's office first thing in the morning to discuss dietary options. Tell them about your troubles and ask for options.

Yes, I am one of those people who follows the surgeon's direction over what I can google. It's not that I don't google things or look for answers myself, but if I have complications of any sort, I want to look my surgeon in the eye and tell him I was 100% on plan. I am very vocal in my healthcare. An example of this related to my sleeve is alcohol. I googled it and searched this forum, and the consensus was that most could have alcohol at either three or six months. I called my surgeon's office to find out his guidelines, and to my surprise, I was allowed alcohol at something like five or six weeks (in moderation).

If you have developed lactose intolerance, you could try an alternative milk such as goat milk (pricey, but well tolerated), or even a soy, hemp or almond milk with an unflavored/plain Protein powder (powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury comes to mind).

Another possible solution is to use a more protein-intense shake. The Premier Protein shakes available in chocolate and vanilla at costco and Sam's have 30g Protein in 11.5 ounces. That's a lot of protein in a small package, and those have been a lifesaver for me. You can drink two of those in four servings and get in 60g protein daily, with very little sugar. They are not very sweet, although the vanilla seems a little gritty to me.

I picked up some Tomato basil bisque at costco. It is Cambell's brand, but also has a Kirkland logo on it. It is very good, and you can add either chicken or plain Protein Powder to it and puree it (since it has tomato chunks).

Long story short, this post-operative diet is a blip on the radar of the rest of our lives. I had terrible gas shoulder pain for almost two weeks, and was really miserable. At almost seven weeks, I hardly even remember that. I had a hard time swallowing even an ice chip in the hospital, and had to stay an extra day, and at this point I can't even describe that pain. I just don't remember. Hopefully, you will soon not remember this difficulty and you will be a happily recovering person, well on her way to goal.

I am glad you are here.

[happy1957 138]

I to have been depressed on and off since surgery Dec 12,2011 (8 weeks ago this Tuesday). I hated the shakes but was given a list of some pretty tasty ones. I was given some very good advice on here, which made me stay and little bit by little bit I have opened up to the wonderful people here.

I use and used Top Ramen flavor packs for the taste and really loved the hot coco Protein rich they were my stand by's until I got to mushy's

Don't try to rush through the processes your body will tell you when to step up. If you try mushy's and get sick step back down and the same with going on to real food. If you have problems step back down for a bit. Each of us are different as to how well we tolerate the changes.

I couldn't walk at all before having the surgery it was just to hard. I had to start very slow, walk to door, then to drive way, then to street and so on. Now I am walking for 7 minutes on a tread mill. It may take awhile but you will get there.

I have attached a shake file with over 190 shakes to chose from I hope this helps get past this part.

Day by Day Step by Step with Jesus is what I pray for each day.

Wishing you a better, brighter, new day.

I would also like the shakes document. It will not allow me to open it.Would you please send it to my e-mail? sos@myfairpoint.net thank you..

[thinoneday 445]

let me inlighten you with some interesting news. . .it's only temporary. . it doesn't last forever honey! go with the flow and do what your doctor says, you'll be happier in the end. . . but of course the choice is yours. . .

as far as the depression, maybe seek out the help of a doctor. . . if you suffered from this before and you are noticing it coming back, this is not the time to play the "lets see what happens" game. . . if it's only from the "help I can't handle the shakes" then that will pass.

good for you walking, at least your helping with the Constipation. . .

I'm out 3 years and still have those alien grumbles in my non existing tummy. . .

good luck!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I had the noises from the tummy too... sounded like Water sucking down the drain! It almost went away... just now and then a little peep. As far as the sweet thing... I hated sweet in the beginning... but the approach I took was... its medicine right now. Sometimes medicine tastes yuck. The idea early out is not to stress your tummy... not make it work too hard until it starts to heal. To avoid leaks. So keep it liquid and squishy... maybe some chicken stock with a tablespoon of instant potatoes, or I used to make chai tea lates with soy... and added some unflavored whey Protein powder... not too hot or it curdles....I was lactos intolerant for the first 4 months too. I drank some drinks I wouldnt touch with a ten foot pole now! But time went by quickly, and I took my medicine and now I can eat anything I like. Hang in there, the time will fly. Get help for your depression if you need to...keep up the walking and don't forget to enjoy the ride of your life!

[Charlotte 23]

I would also like the shakes document. It will not allow me to open it.Would you please send it to my e-mail? sos@myfairpoint.net thank you..

I have forwarded it to your e-mail. Your welcome.

[circa 333]

This too shall pass.

Have you tried maybe using an unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk for your shakes?

The only person that knows besides my husband is one of my sisters. I understand not telling people.

Everyone's post op diet is different from every doctor. It amazes me too that some people are on solid food less than 2 weeks out. I couldn't imagine that.

As for the sounds, that's usually acid - are you on an acid reducer?

Please just take things one day at a time and know that you're not alone. There are lots of us going through issues that lead to depression or other rough feelings. Just know that you're doing this for your health, both body and mind. Your mind and heart can't be fully healthy if your body isn't, in my opinion. You will overcome those feelings. We're always here to listen!

[Patienlywtng on my Curves 73]

I to have been depressed on and off since surgery Dec 12,2011 (8 weeks ago this Tuesday). I hated the shakes but was ay, then to street and so on. Now I am walking for 7 minutes on a tread mill. It may take awhile but you will get there.

I have attached a shake file with over 190 shakes to chose from I hope this helps get past this part.

Day by Day Step by Step with Jesus is what I pray for each day.

Wishing you a better, brighter, new day.

Do you mind emailing the list to me as well. I am not able to view it either. Reediscovered@gmail.com

Thank you

[Joiebean 53]

Maybe try Lactaid? Regular milk was to hard on my stomach and I got sick of soymilk, so I just started using Lactaid and its been working. I know you said you don't like sweets, but the CVS chocolate whey Protein Shake tastes just like regular old chocolate milk when you mix it with lactaid. I can't really get to much meat down yet, so they've been saving me with the Protein and it has 26 grams per serving. So if you can just get three down a day, you're all done. I also got won-ton Soup broth instead of plan ole chicken broth. It was a great change of flavor. The first few weeks are rough. We have all been through it and literally wanted to rip our hair out (at least I did.) I said in a previous post that one day I was so sick of it and mad that I couldn't just give up, that I actually jumped into bed, pulled the blankets over my head and almost cried. But I got through it and you will too. I'm three weeks out and it gets MUCH better around 2 1/2 weeks. Be careful with the walking too. I did a lot of walking and caused myself much more pain. Once I took it easy and relaxed (which is what my doc said to do) the pain went away. My body just wasn't ready yet.

[Escape_Pod 358]

A bad case of the blues is really common at your stage! The anesthesia and pain meds mess with your system, and as you start to burn fat quickly, that sends stored hormones coursing through your bloodstream, so you're going to be MOODY with a capital M. Hang in there, it gets so much better!

Many people also find their tastebuds go through an adjustment period as well. You may find you can tolerate things later that taste like yuck now. You might try diluting the shakes more so they're not as sweet. I also add some salt to mine, which helps to cut the sweet. Adding plain unsweetened yogurt (well diluted) might also help. If you're thinking you might be lactose intolerant, try almond or soy milk.

Can you add unflavored Protein to well thinned Soup? One of my favorites in the liquid stage was cream of potato soup.

Hang in there, it gets so much better!!

[hadouni 301]

big hugs emelefe!

I had a full week of Clear liquids (no Protein shakes) and the thing I found to be most appealing were strained progresso Soups. There are several I really like and they are sooo much better than plain broth. I would add a little beef broth or chicken broth to them too. These really saved me because plain broth was just not at all appealing.

I don't like drinking sweet things either so I totally feel your pain. I still have most of a case of Vitamin Water Zero that I bought pre-op as well as enough popsicles to get me through summer.

Today is my first day of real food so coming off four weeks of Clear Liquids to full liquids to mushy foods (very limited) I get that it feels like forever!